Apparatus for working railway points and signals by means of electrical energy



G RAILWAY POINTS AND SIGNALS Jan 26, 1932.

DOWNES INVENTOR D43, Dow/1&5,

Filed Sept. 24, 1930 BY MEANS OF ELECTRICAL ENERGY aooooom APPARATUS FORWORKIN aooaooeo QN NM a o o o o A w\\\; n R =========n=============ll ww BY dbl-1f ALL; ATTORNEY.

Patented Jan. 26, 1932 "-QI I ST TES, N

mm eonnoN nowNEs, or no noN, NGLAND, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, ,roTHE UNIONSWITGH & SIG1\TALQOMPA1\TY, on SWISSVALE, PENNSYLVANIA, A

CORPORATION OF", PENNSYLVANIA ArrnnyrnsronwoRkINeRAIILwA roINTs ANDsIGNALs BYMEANs or ELECTRICAL 1" ENERGYU kpplieation filedfseptember a4,1930, seriarnaesema, and iirGreat Bi'itain Se tember 30,1929. j

This invention relates to apparatus for "working grailway points orsignals wherein the fmovement is; effected by means of anelectro-motor,through suitable gearing.

{It is well known in conne ctioirwith the electrical operation of pointsand signals that i when the source of electrical energy is limited involtage, such as, for instance when derived from aprimary battery,arelatively long period is required by the electro-motor to complete themovement ofthe points and signalsin order that the currentoutput may bereduced to such proportions as to be readi maintained by the battery. Inthe caseof pointoperation especially, this slow motion introducesan'element of danger arisingfrom the fact that should a traininadvertently approach the points while being moved the train wouldbederailed. It isdesirable,therefore, that the actual movements of thepoints should be made as quickly as possiblefso as to allow as short atime as possible during which the pointsmay be in an unsafe condiw tion.Likewise, the movement vof a signal should be madeas quickly as possiblein order that a "deliberate and unmistakable indicae tion may be givento a driver. ,j According to the invention, the energy provided by thebattery through its electros motor is storedwupin a spring or weight,which inturn is electrically released to move the points or signalsquickly at the appropr a t e. ii i v f In. order th t the inventionmaybe it ly understood it will nowbe described jwith referenceto thesingle figure of the accorn- Peerin r w n s wh h a a ramm i viewshowmgthe general arrangement of an are arranged to be actuztted'byfapoint op,-

eratingslidel adapted to be coupled by mechanism hereinafter describedto a'sliding'me n ber 2 rnounted in suitable guides (not shown).

The slide 2 is surroundedby a helical spring a 3 interposed betweenabutments 4, 5313;013- posite ends thereof. Also engaging with the 60endsjofzthe spring 3 are projections 7 8 carriedbyj i liding f me thend, p ion 10 threaded shaft 11. The shaft llis connected by anysuitable gearing such for instance as a bevelgear 12 toan electric motor13'supplied with operating current from a battery lLI s I i The motorcircuit includes a switch device 15 ofiany suitable construction adaptedto completethe circuit' 'of the motor 13 so long as the sliding frame 9occupies the position shownin thedrawing and until this frame has beenmoved to the right so as to compress the spring 3 to apredeterminedcxtent. 'As here shown, the switch device comprises pairsof-nba rs 15!?and 15 respectively.

Thesl-ide 2 is providedwith slots or recesses 16,17 adapted to beengaged by a locking bolt 18 operated by an electromagnet 6 so as tomaintainithe slide 2 stationary during the compression of the spring 3.The slide 2-is also provided with a recess or aperture 19 adapted toregister witha corresponding aperture 20 in the point operating slide 1.v The apertures 19, 20 are adapted to accommodate a'sliding bolt 21actuated by an electromagnet 22 carried by the slide 1 in such a mannerthat when the electromagnet 22 is energized the bolt 21 is raised so astoprojectthrough both apertures-l9 and 20 and thereby couple the pointoperating slide 1 to the slide 2. w i

The bolt21 is provided with a projection or extension 23 the lower endof which is adapted to enter one or the other of two recesses24, 25formed in a stationary-locking element 26, I jj The projection 23 isalso provided with a contact 27 adapted when the bolt, 21 is in itsraised position to engagewith fixed contactsj28 included in the circuitof the electromagnet6, the latter of which derives current from thebattery 80. j

tact 32 controlled by a point operating lever, so that when this'contactis closed the electro magnet is energized, f

The circuit for the electromagnet 22 includesa batteryBl and a normallyopen cona 65 two bridglng members 15 and 15 operatively connected, toframe 9 and coacting with In order to ensure the rotation of the motor13 in the desired direction to compress the spring 3 in readiness forthe desired movement of the points the motor circuit includes areversing switch device 29 operated by the point operating slide 1.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: c

l/Vith the parts of the mechanism in the position shown in the drawing,current flows from battery 14 through the reversing switch device 29,wire 33, contact 15"-'15*-15 of switch device 15, motor 13, and wire 34to" battery 14. This causes the motor 13 to rotate in a directionellecting the corresponding rotation of the screw threaded rod ,11 tocause the sliding frame 9 gradually to'move towards the right;

As a result the arm 7 of the frame 9 engages the left-hand end of thespring 3 and effects the gradual compression of the spring, the oppositeend of this spring being held stationary by its engagement with theprojection 5 on theslide 2 which is held fixed during this action-by thelocking bolt 18, which engages with the recess 16 in the normaldeenergized conditionof the electromagnet 6. As soon as the spring 3 hasbeen compressed by the movement of the frame 9 to a predetermined extentthebridging members 15 will leave the contact bars 15 and this will openthe circuit of the motor 13 with the result that current is no longersupplied to the motor which accordingly ceases to operate. I

The mechanism is now in a condition for operating the points this beingeffected in the following manner:

The signalman by operating the point lever closes the energizing circuitof the electromagnet 22 at contact 32, with the result that the lockingbolt 21 and its projection 23 are raised so as to cause the bolt 21 toenter the recess 19 in the slide'2 thereby coupling the point operatingslide 1 and the slide 2 together.

Simultaneously the end of the projection 23 is raised out of the recess24 in the locking element 26 so as to free the point operating slide 1for movement. The final movement of the projection 23 to its upperposition causes the contact 27 to engage with the contacts 28 andthereby supply energizing current to the electromagnet 6 with the resultthat the locking bolt 18 being lifted out of engagement with the recess16, the slide 2 under the action of the compressed spring 3 is movedrapidly and positively towards the right carrying with it the pointoperating slide 1 which is coupled tot he slide 2 by the bolt21 asalready explained.

It will be observed that the electrom-agnet 22 being mounted upon thepoint operating slide 1 is moved towards the right as the slide 1 movesand as soon as the slide-1 has simultaneously disengaged from theaperture 19 in the slide 2 so that the point operating slide 1 isuncoupled from the slide 2.

The reversal of slide 1 will reverse the switch device 29, and currentwill'then flow from battery 14, through switch device 29,

wire 35, contact 15, 15 15 motor 13,

and wire 34 to battery 14. Thiswill'cause motor 13 to rotate in theopposite direction, thereby moving frame 9 to the left, and this willcompress spring 3 between abutment 4 and projection 8. When the springis fully compressed, the motor circuit will be opened at switch device15, and the apparatus will be readyv for the return of the switch pointswhen contact 32 is closed to energize electromagnet 22.

It'will thus be appreciated that the energy for operating the points isderived from the compression of the spring 3, this compression beinggradually eifected by the operation of the motor 13 during the periodsof time between'the successive operations of the points, the energythereby stored in the spring 3 serving to efiect the rapid and positivemove- -ment of the points from one position to another withoutnecessitating a sudden relatively heavy load'upon the operating motor13.v

Arrangements of any suitable type may also be provided for effecting anindication at the point of control of the movement of the points totheir respective positions and arrangements may also be provided forcausing the points to be returned to one or other of their extremepositions in the event of their movement being obstructed from any causeduring the setting operation.

The invention is evidently not limited to any particular construction orarrangement of mechanism which may be varied in order to meet particularconditions without exceeding the scope of the invention.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my saidinvention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare thatwhat I claim is:

1. In combination, a switch actuating member, a slide bar'havingabutments, a spring located between said abutments, means forcompressing said spring against one abutment or the other, means forlocking said slide bar, and means for simultaneously coupling said slidebar with said actuating member and unlocking the slide bar to allow saidspring to operate the actuating member. I 2. In combination, a slide barhaving abutments, a spring located between said abutments, means forcompressing the spring against one abutment or the other, means forblocking and releasing said slide bar, and a a switch actuating membercontrolled by said slide bar.

3; In combination, a switch actuating member, means including a springfor moving said memberin opposite directions, a motor for storing energyin said spring, and

19 means responsive to movement of said mem+ berby the spring foroperating said motor I to storeen-ergyin thespringfor the returnmovement of the member.

4. In combination, a switch actuating member, means including aspringfor moving saidmember in opposite directions, a i k motorfor storingenergy in said spring bev tween movements of said member, andmeans forcontrolling said motor by said member.

go 5. In combination, a switch actuating "member, means including aspring'for moving said J member in opposite directions, a

I frame forstoring energy in said spring, a a motor foroperatingysaidframe, means readsponsive to an operation of said member for energizingsaid motor in such direction as to store energy inthe spring foroperation of the member in the other direction, and means controlledbysaid frame for stopping so said motor after the storing of energy inthe sprin iscompleted. 6. In combination, a switch actuating member,means including a spring for mov-- ing said member in oppositedirections, a V

3 motor for storing energy insaid spring between movements of saidmember, and means for locking said member dur ng the storing of energyin the spring.

In testimony whereof I a flix my signature.

40 a DAVID GORDON ,DOWNES."

